This wholesome black-eyed pea salad is a nutritious, whole-food side dish packed with antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

My cousin shared this Vegan Black Eyed Pea Salad recipe with me. It’s fresh, light, delicious, and easy to make. You can double it as a meatless main course or serve it as a side dish with pork chops, pork tenderloin, or whatever you’re grilling. It’s also good to take to dinner parties. This salad contains fiber-rich beans, healthy fats, and antioxidants from parsley and onions, which may lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation to support cardiovascular health. It’s also great for digestion. Other easy bean salad recipes to try are Mediterranean Bean Salad and Southwestern Black Bean Salad.

Why This Black-Eyed Peas Recipe Works

I’ve been looking to get more fiber and anti-inflammatory foods into my diet, and this salad is a great side dish if you’re trying to meal prep for the week. Like my lentil salad, you can add lots of raw veggies to increase the serving size. Here are a few reasons to love it:

If you make this healthy black-eyed pea salad recipe, I’d love to see it. Tag me in a photo or video on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook!

What are black-eyed peas?

black-eyed peas, also known as cowpea or black eyed peasare cream-colored beans with a distinctive black “eye” on one side. They have been a staple food in various cultures for centuries and provide a variety of nutritional and health benefits.

Ingredients for black-eyed peas

This easy black-eyed pea salad uses 6 key ingredients, plus salt, pepper, and olive oil. Recipe card contains exact measurements.

• Black Eyed Peas: Rinse and drain the dried black-eyed peas in a colander. If there is something bad, pick it out.
• water boil beans
• bay leaf Imparts a subtle herbal flavor.
• red onion: The crunchy texture of the red onions contrasts nicely with the soft peas.
• Italian parsleyAlso known as flat-leaf parsley, it adds freshness.
• Vinaigrette: Lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil create a light, tangy dressing for black-eyed pea salad.
• salt and black pepper Season the peas.

How to Make Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Using a pressure cooker can speed up the process of preparing black-eyed peas. Once it’s ready, it only takes a few minutes to mix everything together to make the salad. See the recipe card at the bottom for complete instructions.

1. Cook the peas: Place black-eyed peas, bay leaf and water in Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. Allow for a natural release (i.e. don’t touch the pan for 15 minutes after cooking). Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and strain the beans. Discard the bay leaf and allow the beans to cool.
2. Make the salad: Combine black-eyed peas with onion, parsley, lemon juice, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Taste and cool: Taste the salad and add more salt and lemon if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

black eyed peas variant

• If you want to use canned beansdrain and rinse 4 cans, yielding about 6 cups of beans.
• liquid: Cook the beans in vegetable broth for more flavor.
• onion: Substitute shallots.
• Herbal medicine: Swap the parsley for chives or cilantro.
• vinegar: Use white wine or white balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.
• Add more vegetables: Raw diced carrots, celery and broccoli are great.
• garlic: Add 1 or 2 grated garlic cloves.
• Olives: Add chopped Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives.
• cheese: Mix feta cheese into Mediterranean black-eyed pea salad.
• Don’t have a quick cooker? Cook black-eyed peas in the slow cooker. Soak the beans in water overnight and place in the refrigerator. Drain and simmer on high for 6 hours.

What to pair with black eyed peas

storage

Refrigerate the black-eyed pea salad for up to 5 days and eat it cold as leftovers.

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